The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-07-28

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|, Several weeks passed away without, wor
or sign from the author OF John Dolline
Q Quest. aud Mr.. Parker was beginning /
Z be anxious; he wanted more work fror
: tho same hand, and he began 10 fear tha
: his prize bad been beguiled into the ofic
= OF some competitor. He was puzzled, toe
. by the apparent indifference Of the write
OF story which had sold an extra editor
! Of the magazine. and was in everybody
I mouth; did she care nothing for sueh
suceessY One eyening. IS he was Sitting
at his desk 10 his room asking himsel
/ these questions for the hundreth time. ht
! pulled out package OF papers from pig
con hole, and, lol there dropped out th'
original manuscript Of John Dolline's
Quest" Their was no doubt alb jut il; hs
! Instantly recoi ized the peculiar hand in
which il had b,en written. and on the
back were the date Of receipt. number and
memorandum Of acceptance. Moreover.
the sight Of the article recalled distinctly
tho fact that he had brought the story
home for more careful reading, and had
placed II 10 his desk; the circumstances
had entirely escaped him, but now they
all came back in flash. John Parker
was thunderstruck; il he had been per-
plexed before, be was hopelessly confused
now. The original manuscript had never
been out OF bis possession, and yet Miss
Ferguson had supplied copy over night
He looked up the issue Of the magazine,
and compared the printed story with the
manuscript in his hand; they were identi-
cal save in few phrases and turns Of eI
preston. AS he recalled Miss Fergusons
copy be remembered that the hand writ
ing was very different from that before
him. aud as he recalled the note OF inquiry
be was sure that its penmanship was the
same as that OF the original manuscript.
He lighted fresh cigar, and began TO
walk up and down the room, seeking
vainly for some solution of the problem.
He tried one theory after another, but
none Of them fitted the fact, and finally he
gave up in despair; there was no rational
explanation unless Miss Ferguson had
stolen the story from the writer, which
was Incredible; or unless she had written il
herself, which, in view OF all the circum
stances, seemed equally Incredible Mr..
Parker walked and walked. aud the longer
he walked and thought the more uncom
Portable he felt His feeling, il he had
had analyze it as closely as the novelist
who contributed stories to the magazine
were in the habit OF analyziDg such emo
tions. was warmer and more intense than
the simple editorial problem would have
justified; the fact that Miss Ferguson wa
involved seemed to invest the circum-
stances with a personal interest of kind
which be had never felt before.
The next morning Mr.. Parker bad
reached no conclusion, but he bad decided |
what to do He sent for Miss Ferguson,
and, when she presented herself handed
her the manuscript without word or com.
ment. II he had felt any misgivings as to
the result it WIS dissipated by the flush
which suflused the girls face when she
understood that he had discovered her
connection with the story.
~ owe you an explanation, which ought
to have been made earlier" she eaid; II
wrote this story six months ago. but had
too little confidence in il to send it to any
magazine. l laid 1t on a book rack in my
room, and thought no more Of it until the
afternoon whe you asked me about the
lost story. | Was SO struck by the title
that l asked for its character, and from
your description l knew that the story
must have been my ewn. hurried to
my boarding house and found the manu-
script missing 1t had probably been
taken by woman who had left the house
not very long before, aud whom
had instinctiyely mistrusted. Your
strong commendation stimulated me TO re
produce it. sat up the whole night and
IN the morning laid the story on your desk
without explanation. These are the facts
which ! should have put in your possess
sion before il had been able to overcome
ny timidity. 1t is the first piece Of liter
'ry work that ever attempted. "
Whatever John Parker's feelings w,rs
While she was making this explanation, be
,arefully concealed them. When she hid
inished, be extended his hand cordially,
md said:
II congratulate you on having made a
'ery great success. Your future is likely
o be an enviabie one. Have you written
.nything since John Dollines Quest'?"
Her reply was 10 leave the room and !.
eturn with another sketch. The same af
ernoon as he handed her a generous
heck for both contributions. be told her
hat be did not expect her to remain long.
r in her present position. adding with
mphasis;
II have another place in view for you.
can persuade you to take ii !"
Nothing was heard from the person $ ~
ad brought John Dollines Quest 70
be mag gszine. though several devices were
mployed for that purpose; the sudden
nd wide popularity Of the sketch proba :.
bly, deferred her from making any at :
smpt to profit by her theft Three months :
,ter. as they we're coming out Of bot'l
. Washington. Mrs. Parker suddenly
urned TO her husband and asked
"Whst was the place yon had 10 view "
,r me, Johns"
"The one you now occupy. my dearf"- q q
L W. ~ IN Christian LaiOn.
- u
Mother did young Mr.. Thomp d
lbs say TO you. Clara, last night. vhen a.
a 4.